The Search

This film is a tad long and sad, but well worth watching. The topic is still important and the film shows how war brutalises people and how the international community turns a blind eye.

There are several reviews here that have been witten by Russian trolls that did not even bother to watch the film. In reality does the film strike a reasonable balance in portraying the russian solidiers. Ie not all russian solidiers are bad and not all Checehens are good. The depiction of how solidiers anre brutalised in an unjust war is not much different from the one in "Full Metal Jacket".

Both Kolja and Hadji produce very strong acting performances and Anette Benning shines as the all too overworked aid worker

A really beautiful dramatic movie with a really good cast!

This is a remake of a 1948 movie with the same name, but with a second story along side the updated original. Like the original movie, this will tug at your heart by displaying the real cost of war. But unlike the original, this movie not only shows the "victim" side through the use of a homeless little child, it also shows the "victimization" of 18 year old boys, those having to fight. This movie is a bit gory, but is very respectful and does not show gratuitous gore. The movie seems to develop slowly, a style many who enjoy European movies have come to expect. However, unlike many European movies, this one has a nice "twist" at the end that is likely to put a smile on your face, in the midst of the horrors and realities of war. The two stories are only tied together at the very end and only in a brief, somewhat unsatisfying way. But if one understands that the movie is reflecting on how awful war is on young lives, it does make sense. Slow, moving and powerful. Not the typical fast paced, complex and neatly wrapped up US production. If you want to watch, sit, relax and enjoy.

Thanks to the producer for the courage to create such masterpiece. This is one of the movies that forced me to think about meaning of life and the cruelty of Russians. After the movie I immediately logged to internet to search who created this and to express my admiration and gratitude.

I totally disagree with "madamebaterflaj" - although this isn't the "best film ever" (and how could it be, depicting the horror of war), it is not bad at all. Yes, it is anti-Russian, but don't you remember how the story went? It's like saying "Schindler's List is black-and-white anti-German propaganda".... It is an European point of view, of course, so even if there is a sort of happy end, the focus of the story are not the emotions of the characters, not even the characters maybe, but History and how we all are involved. The boy actor is simply terrific, some times he looks like an old guy, a grown up man, and then again he shows he's just a little boy. Beautiful photography. Beautiful soundtrack. Might be a bit too long but not that much.